Final answer:
The American Dream encapsulates both the optimism of achieving prosperity through hard work and the harsh realities that immigrants often face, such as economic barriers that can impede the fulfillment of dreams like home ownership and financial independence.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of the American Dream has both its aspirational qualities and its challenges as revealed in the various readings. Positive features of the American Dream include the belief that through hard work and perseverance, anyone can achieve upward economic mobility and financial success, leading toward prosperity and a better life for one's family. Conversely, the negatives include the realities of financial dependency, low wages, and the insecurity that many immigrants faced, which often kept them trapped in ethnic enclaves and prevented the achievement of their dreams of home ownership and independence.
In 'The Latehomecomer', Kao Kalia Yang uses imagery to describe the American Dream in terms of homes and home ownership. One example of positive imagery is when the dream of owning a home symbolizes stability and a personal haven for the family. On the other hand, a negative aspect is reflected when Yang contrasts this ideal with the inability of many immigrants to escape the cycle of debt, which starkly reveals the tough reality that owning a home remains out of reach for some, undermining the dream of establishing a permanent and secure dwelling.